http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=3614
by Thomas P. Kilgannon
The history of the disaster that submerged New Orleans in 2005 has already been written. In it, race plays a greater role than the real problems exposed by Katrina — the failure of http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=2704 at all levels and the unwarranted faith citizens place in bureaucracy. Now, the New Orleans race card is being played again — this time by busybodies beyond our borders.
This month, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=230 Discrimination issued its opinion on Katrina’s aftermath. “The Committee,” the report states, “remains concerned about the disparate impact that [Hurricane Katrina continues to have on low-income African American residents, many of whom continue to be displaced after more than two years after the hurricane.” Opining on the matter was not enough for the international know-it-alls — they further blessed us with their recommendation on how to fix the perceived ills. The United States, they said, should “increase its efforts in order to facilitate the return of persons displaced by Hurricane Katrina to their homes.” Short of that, the U.S. must “guarantee access to adequate and affordable housing,” for Katrina victims.
The criticism was too much for Louisiana Senator David Vitter. “Once again, the UN has decided to inject itself into the New Orleans public housing debate, even though some of the UN advisors who have been critical of the recovery process have never actually been on the ground to see things first hand,” Mr. Vitter responded.
Vitter was referring to Miloon Kothari, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on adequate housing and Gay McDougall, the UN Independent Expert on minority issues. On February 28, from their international ivory tower in Geneva, the two issued a statement saying they were “deeply concerned” about the public housing situation in New Orleans and its impact on African-Americans.
Specifically, the two object to the razing of four public housing projects in the city, which would make it possible to erect new facilities. They denounced the demolition and stated that for African-American residents, it results in “the denial of internationally recognized human rights.” Preventing former public housing residents from returning to their homes because of project demolition, they said, “would in practice amount to an eviction” — an action prohibited by “international human rights law.” These international ombudsmen then demanded that “the Federal Government and State and local authorities…immediately halt the demolitions of public housing in New Orleans.”
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?print=yes&id=25572